Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1 The Emperor's Kidneys Are Deficient

At five in the morning, after an all-nighter, Zhu Changluo finally finished revising his thesis. Coincidentally, his parents had accidentally given him the name of a Ming Dynasty emperor, but his research was actually on Qing Dynasty history.

He opened his email and clicked send. "I hope the professor can give fewer suggestions this time." Zhu Changluo closed his notebook, took off his glasses, and fell asleep on the table.

The 48th year of the Wanli reign, August 11, at the hour of Mao.

"Your Majesty, it's time to leave your bedroom and attend court." Cui Wensheng, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, called out to the emperor through the gauze curtain.

Eleven days earlier, on August 1, the 48th year of the Wanli reign, the coronation ceremony had been successfully completed, and Zhu Changluo had officially ascended the throne, with the reign title of Taichang. Immediately upon ascending the throne, the new emperor issued an imperial decree, promoting Concubine Zheng's former personal eunuch, Cui Wensheng, to the high position of Chief Eunuch in the Imperial Household Department, and also assigning him personal attention to the emperor's daily life.

Cui Wensheng himself knew that the emperor's favor was not based on trust, so he acted with great enthusiasm, even personally serving as a human ladder for the emperor to get off the chariot.

"Your Majesty, it's time to leave your bedroom and attend court." Not getting a response, Cui Wensheng had to call again.

Zhu Changluo felt a hand gently pushing his shoulder. "Why are you pushing me? I've already submitted my paper," he said in a hoarse and weak voice.

"Your Majesty was so majestic last night, like a real dragon breaking through the clouds." The girl closest to Zhu Changluo didn't know what he was talking about, but she had to respond to the emperor's words.

"Ah!" As consciousness gradually regained consciousness, fatigue permeated his entire body, and the severe pain in his lower body suddenly flooded his entire brain. "Ah! I just stayed up all night, not out fooling around. Why do I feel like my body is hollowed out? It hurts so much! I feel like I'm going to give up there."

Hearing the emperor's screams, the naked girls on the bed panicked. The girl near the edge of the bed poked her head out of the gauze curtain and said to Cui Wensheng: "Cui Bingbi, His Majesty seems... seems..."

She didn't know how to decline, so she hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Go call the imperial physician."

Call the imperial physician? If this gets out, it will be all over. The sour Donglin Party members will definitely impeach him to death. Cui Wensheng was sweating profusely.

On August 10, the 48th year of the Wanli reign, Concubine Zheng sent eight beauties of extraordinary beauty to the emperor.

For the frustrated Crown Prince Zhu Changluo, who had been neglected by his father and almost confined to his house all his life, this was a gift that he had to accept.

Because in Zhu Changluo's view, Concubine Zheng, who had always targeted him before, sent this big gift, which was undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill to him, and even a bit of surrender.

This palace, ah no! I have been depressed for my whole life, and now I can finally enjoy myself.

Driven by his desire to win and his lust for indulgence, Zhu Changluo asked Cui Wensheng, who was in charge of the imperial pharmacy and had been refining elixirs for many years, for a strong medicine.

With the help of medicine, the emperor "had sex with several people in a row."

Zhu Changluo lacked exercise since childhood, and due to the mental pressure from his father, Zhu Yijun, and his stepmother, Consort Zheng, his health was not good. Therefore, after "having sex with several women," his "holy appearance suddenly diminished." In short, he was drained.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to trouble the imperial physician. I am quite knowledgeable in medicine and can help your Majesty." Cui Wensheng's voice trembled.

The Emperor? The Imperial Physician, one, two, three, eight women.

Zhu Changluo murmured, "Am I a substitute?" After a brief moment of distraction, he realized something.

"I am quite knowledgeable in medicine and can help the emperor relieve his worries." Cui Wensheng raised his voice.

"What do you, a eunuch, know about medicine? Go and call the imperial physician." Zhu Changluo said in a weak voice.

"Yes, go and get the imperial physician for His Majesty." The young girls, who had just experienced sex for the first time, echoed in unison.

Cui Wensheng wanted to argue again: "Your Majesty! You have just ascended the throne. If the imperial physician spreads this matter, I am afraid your reputation will be tarnished."

So you just prescribe laxatives that make people poop dozens of times a night? Although Zhu Changluo specializes in Qing Dynasty history, he's also quite familiar with Ming Dynasty history. He's particularly familiar with his namesake, the "August Emperor" Guangzong (who ascended to the throne in August and died in September). If Cui Wensheng had actually gotten him the laxatives, even if he hadn't been drained last night, he'd have died squatting in the toilet.

"Stop talking nonsense and go call the imperial physician." Zhu Changluo insisted.

"Your Majesty, please think twice." Cui Wensheng wasn't entirely concerned about himself. Putting this matter on hold would only benefit the emperor.

"If you keep talking nonsense, there will be no need for civil officials to impeach you. I will immediately send you to Nanjing to guard the body of Taizu." Zhu Changluo gritted his teeth.

A quarter of an hour later, Cui Wensheng rushed to the Qianqing Palace with the director of the Imperial Medical Bureau and two judges.

"Just see a doctor if you need to. Don't think too much and don't say anything nonsense." Cui Wensheng threatened.

"Hmph." The hospital attendant snorted and ignored Cui Wensheng. He had been an imperial physician for decades and knew what was going on when he heard this.

The court official was mentally prepared, but he was still shocked when he walked in. Eight girls were surrounding a man with a sallow face and lifeless eyes.

The emperor has kidney failure.

As the imperial physician approached, the eight girls consciously stepped aside. Logically, they should have gone somewhere else, but Eunuch Cui, who had brought them in, had instructed them yesterday that unless the emperor personally ordered them to leave, they were to wait for Eunuch Cui to come and take them away.

After a thorough diagnosis, the imperial envoys discovered that the emperor's illness was not complex, but difficult to treat. The kidney deficiency was obvious, and Zhu Changluo himself admitted to taking strong medication the previous day. Furthermore, the emperor was already weak. Therefore, the treatment plan was to first purge heat, then tonify the kidneys, and finally recuperate.

Cui Wensheng stood nearby, looking at the imperial physician's prescription, feeling a little unconvinced. He had been thinking the same thing. The problem was, even with the same treatment plan, different medications and dosages could produce vastly different results.

If Eunuch Cui were really allowed to treat Zhu Changluo, just the step of purging the fire would make Zhu Changluo become a dry man.

"Cui Bingbi, follow this prescription." The court official blew on the ink on the prescription and was about to hand it to Cui Wensheng when he was interrupted by Zhu Changluo.

"Go get the medicine yourself. Boil it right outside the palace door." Zhu Changluo said, "Cui Wensheng, go get Wang An. You're not needed here anymore."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me." Cui Wensheng fell to his knees with a thud.

Zhu Changluo gently waved to the girls standing in line. "Come here and put on my court dress."

Zhu Changluo, supported by two girls, walked up to Cui Wensheng and asked softly, "What crime do you think you have committed?"

"Slave, slave." Cui Wensheng rested his head on the ground, not daring to breathe.

"Tell me what you have done. How can I pardon you if you don't tell me what crime you have committed?" Zhu Changluo's legs were shaking. "Doctor, don't you really need to apply something there? It hurts and itches."

"Your Majesty is just overworked. Your health is fine. The symptoms will be relieved after a few days of rest." The envoy subtly advised the emperor to restrain his desires.

Zhu Changluo nodded and looked at Cui Wensheng again: "I'm asking you a question."

"I am guilty of this." You asked for the elixir yourself. But Cui Wensheng didn't dare to say that.

"Is Concubine Zheng still in the Qianqing Palace?" Zhu Changluo suddenly asked.

Cui Wensheng's pupils trembled violently. So that's what he meant.

"I know my crime." My dear concubine, I can only apologize to you.

(End of this chapter)